Weekend short takes, Dec. 23

Every year the North American Aerospace Defense Command uses its radar to track Santa’s travels on Christmas Eve. This year is the 50th anniversary of NORAD’s tracking Santa.

The tradition began after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertisement for children to call Santa on a special “hotline” included a misprinted telephone number. Instead of Santa, the phone number put kids through to the NORAD’s Director of Operations, Col. Harry Shoup, who received the first “Santa” call on Christmas Eve 1955.